Hanna Garrett, PR & Marketing Manager:

• Brands need to shift consumer demand from fast fashion to slow fashion 
• Education is key to driving changes in consumer behaviour
• A strong PR campaign can change perception and policy  

Global carbon emissions could peak as soon as this year (2023). While climate change has never been higher on the agenda, and more consumers than ever are shopping consciously, the global fashion industry continues to produce eight to 10 percent of global CO2 emissions while also contributing to 20 percent of global waste and 10 percent of microplastics found in the ocean. 

“Fashion can be a universal player in protecting the planet” – Pharrell Williams, Musician

Something needs to change. The opportunity is there but it relies on changes in consumer demands and industry investment. While many brands are starting to implement a more considered approach to the production of clothing and textiles, one of the challenges facing clothing brands is shifting the demand for fast fashion. Customers want to see brands leading the change but, to effect change, brands and consumers need to take action. Education is needed to transform consumer purchasing habits to ensure fast fashion brands adopt more sustainable practices. 

How can brands change consumer behaviour? 

A strong PR campaign can influence both opinion and behaviour. It is positive to see a plethora of brands working to effect positive change within the fashion industry through their PR and marketing activity. 

Stella McCartney is a well-recognised advocate for ethical and environmentally-sustainable fashion. Her A/W17 campaign advertisement was staged in a Scottish landfill. The strong visual element of the campaign drew attention to disposable consumer culture, textile waste and the amount of clothing that ends up in landfill sites. 

No blog post on sustainable fashion brands would be complete without mentioning Patagonia, a brand which has long championed a more environmentally-friendly fashion industry. Not only does the brand use clear, informative infographics to provide customers with the information they need to make environmentally-conscious decisions, but it is also responsible for some of the most notable awareness-raising campaigns in the fashion industry. Its ‘Monster in the Closet’ campaign addressed the close ties between the oil and gas industry and fashion brands as well as persuading customers to reuse and recycle more of their clothing to reduce plastic waste from textiles. 

Closer to home, the Grand Arcade recently hosted its second Let’s Go Circular event, showcasing circular economy initiatives from across Cambridgeshire including an eco-fashion show. Through a series of workshops, people learned how to give their clothes a new lease of life while an eco-fashion show demonstrated how donated clothing can support refugee women and children rather than languishing in the back of a wardrobe. 

Earthday.org might not be a clothing brand but its impactful ‘My Planet, My Closet’ project aimed to create a dialogue around sustainable fashion by playing on popular fast fashion haul videos. People were invited to become ‘influencers, not followers’ and showcase their sustainable closets in short videos shared on social media. Not only did this highlight the environmental impact of fast fashion, it encouraged people to change their shopping behaviours by repurposing existing items and choosing more environmentally-friendly fabrics such as lyocell and recycled fabrics when purchasing new items. 

While the statistics might be discouraging, there are clear and sustained efforts from established brands to drive positive change in the fashion industry. By using the tools at our disposal, PR teams can support these efforts to create lasting change in the industry by raising awareness of the impact on our planet and educating consumers on alternative options.